Dr Andrew Bengry-Howell

“But we’re not like that…”

The ‘Know your limits’ campaign and young people’s social identification

with intoxication

• Targeted at 18-24 binge drinkers• Across a range of media – TV, cinema, print, radio, online –

supported by PR activity

Aims• Increase awareness and consideration of the consequences of

drinking irresponsibly • Increase knowledge and understanding of sensible drinking levels• Highlight where to get more help or treatment

Safe, sensible, social, p.33.

‘Know Your Limits’ campaign

• Government strategy to reduce harm caused by alcohol misuse• Programme of joint government and industry action• Better education & communication

Safe = moderate drinking Harm = intoxication

Emphasis on the negative/harmful effects of drinking

Young people’s social drinking constituted as negative and problematic

Notion that alcohol can play an ‘important and positive role’, ‘enhance…special occasions and time spent with friends’

(Safe. Sensible. Social. P. 5)

Absent/minimised in official discourses around young people’s drinking

Safe vs harmful drinking

• Do you know your limits? • Find out for sure by going on our ‘night out’. • Put yourself in a normal Friday night scene and see if you'd

make the right decisions to have a great night that ends safely.

• Virtual night out – generally ends in disaster unless you drink within the government guidelines

www.knowyourlimits.gov.uk

A NIGHT OUT

Virtual drinker

• Enters bar alone

• Independent agent

• Engages with people in bar – chooses between options

• Group context in which our participants drink is entirely absent

• Drinking constituted as individual rather than social practice

• Tales of disaster • Resonance with our respondents accounts of a

‘bad night out’ – for most, exceptional rather than common occurence

• Can you help us?• Have you ever had a bad experience as a result

of drinking too much?• We want to hear from people with interesting

stories that highlight the negative consequences of excessive drinking.

REAL LIFE STORIES

www.knowyourlimits.gov.uk

• ‘Have a great night, and stay safe’

• Positive tips for saying safe

• Limiting what you drink

• Resisting the influence of the group – be your own person

• Set limits – keep track of what you are drinking

• Plan how you are getting home

STAY SAFE

Focus on individual drinker

• Separate/independent from the group

• Resisting peer pressure

• Being Safe, Sensible, Sober

‘The campaign played on the vulnerability of binge drinkers and emphasised both the physical and criminal consequences that can arise from irresponsible alcohol consumption.’

‘The television and cinema advertising contrasted the feeling of drunken invincibility with a ‘hero to zero’ theme and showed the serious physical harm that could occur as a consequence of binge drinking’

Safe, sensible, social, Page 33/34

Hero to Zero

But that’s not me!

OUR PARTICIPANTS• Wouldn’t identify with the drinker represented in Know

Your Limits/Hero to Zero campaign.

• Individual drinker who drinks outside of a social context/ acts irresponsibly - constituted as a having a drink problem – someone who is not like them.

• Identity position recognised, but one that our participants distance themselves from

• Our participants constitute themselves as social drinkers engaged in a collective practice of having fun and looking after each other, not as solitary drinkers counting units and staying within their limits

Social drinkingHelen I don’t like drinking on my own…the whole point of going out is to

socialiseMaria If you’re waiting for someone for like half an hour on your own (.) I

don’t think I’d mind (.) =Laura yeah (.) yeahMaria = but when you’re on your own all night it’s a bit lonelyABH But you wouldn’t mind sitting in a pub waiting for people on your

own?Maria No (.) I wouldn’t mind sitting for half an hour or whatever (.) and

having a drink on my own (.) as long as it wasn’t like (.) for four hours or something…

ABH So (.) what about anybody else (.) how do other people feel about (.) going out on your own?

Helen I think the whole point of going out is socialising (.) innit (.) and then the drink is next (.) well (…)

Sara yeahHelen If I did go on my own (.) just to drink on my own (.) that’s a bit (2)

[ (.) alcoholicky.

ABH Is drinking an important part of your social life?Joe It’s (…)Alan It doesn’t have to be but it just isTim Socialising is (1) and drinking comes from socialisingABH So socialising (.) what do you mean by socialising?Tim like going out with your mates and (right) (.) it’s more fun when you’re out

with your mates like in town (.) (right) and if you’re in town you normally have a drink

ABH Ok (1) So the most important thing is the socialising?Tim YeahABH And then the drinking is sort of part of that as well yeah?Tim Yeah (.) the most important thing is socialising and (1) when you have

(1) like a few drinks it does (.) it does like help you to chill out a bit (yeah) but some people can go too far (yeah) and then like (.) it ruins your night if they get really bad and you’ve got to look after them and stuff (ok) (.) but the main thing is just hanging out.

Anne if we’re in a big group of us Rose exactlyAnne we wouldn’t wouldn’t ever (.) let any anything happenABH rightRose that’s why we always go out in such a big group (.) because we

always know (.) no that not that we always (inaudible) Kelly that doesn’t drink (.) because there’s always somebody (.) who (.) if

(.) coz there’s always (.) we all keep a watchful I on em

Joe I think it’s good sometimes to have a mate who goes out (.) who is not affected by alcohol and that (.) coz he’s like a voice of good reason or something (yeah) (.) so say you’re going a bit over the top and he’ll come along and he’s like that and “you’re a bit over the top mate (.) [ calm it down a bit”